BERLIN // The French playmaker Franck Ribery has signed an extension to his Bayern Munich contract until 2015, the losing Champions League finalists said today. Bayern said the new deal was signed with the 27-year-old before they lost 2-0 the final to Inter Milan in Madrid yesterday. "We're delighted we've reached agreement on a contract extension with one of the world's best players," the Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the Bundesliga club's website (www.fcbayern.t-com.de).
Ribery missed the match due to suspension after being sent off in the first leg of their semi-final against French side Olympique Lyon. "My family and I are delighted that we're staying in Munich. The club has become a big family for me," Ribery said. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United had reportedly shown interest in the player, who is expected to have a big role for France at the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa.
"He decided with his heart," said Zinedine Zidane, a close friend of Ribery and the man who, as an advisor to Real Madrid, had been trying to sign him for the Spaniards. * Reuters
